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[Opinion] Bola Tinubu: Caught In A Monkey

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By Reno Omokri

This article was first published in my column, #TheAlternative, in ThisDay on Sunday June 2, 2019. Please read it and judge for yourself if it was prophetic!

The Demystification of Tinubu Continues

On the last day in May 2019, the news came like a bombshell. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that it had concluded its investigation into the activities of Oando Plc and found its management culpable.

The SEC further announced that it was unilaterally ordering Oando’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Wale Tinubu, his deputy, Mr. Omamofe Boyo and other identified board members to resign and directed that an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting be convened to appoint new directors, on or before July 1, 2019.

Earth shattering. Ground breaking. A bombshell. Ordinarily, these teens are used as exaggerations. But on this occasion, they could even be said to be understatements.

But what is happening here? As the late Afrobeat legend, Fela Kuti, sang in his song Overtake Don Overtake Overtake (ODOO), ‘people wey no know they happy, people wey know them dey look’. (Could that be where the late Bola Ige got the idea for his siddon look brand of politics?).

The truth is that on this issue, there is much more to what is happening than meets the eye. Much, much more.

You see, the Cabal are using Nasir El-Rufai to clip Bola Tinubu’s wings politically, and now they have moved on to the next stage: clipping his financial wings through the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Many people do not know that the relationship between Bola Tinubu and his nephew, Wale Tinubu of Oando goes beyond just familial dealings. It runs much deeper.

For instance, it is Wale Tinubu that introduced Babatunde Raji Fashola to his uncle, Bola Tinubu, eventually paving the way for Fashola to become his Chief of Staff whole he (Bola Tinubu) was Governor of Lagos, and ultimately to make him (Fashola) his successor. The bond between Bola abs Wale runs deep!

Perhaps it is a coincidence that Wale Tinubu’s burgeoning company, Ocean and Oil, suddenly acquired the Federal Government’s shares in Unipetrol in 2000, just a year after his uncle became governor. And perhaps it is not a coincidence. You do the math!

Those who think it is a coincidence that Nasir El-Rufai flippantly unleashed his salvo against Tinubu three weeks ago on May 4, 2019 and the Securities and Exchange Commission moved against Oando on the last day of May, need to do a little digging. I will help them.

Nasir El-Rufai and Oando have history together. Very long and deep history. You see, Nasir El-Rufai was the Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises when Wale Tinubu acquired Unipetrol’s shares.

I am a researcher and a very meticulous record keeper. I interview people and keep meticulous records because Nigeria is a dog eat dog dirks and you need to protect yourself if you are involved in Nigerian politics and as far as I am concerned, the pen is mightier than the sword. Hence I keep records.

I interviewed a personnel of the Bureau of Public Enterprises who was present when Wale Tinubu and Eyimofe Boyo acquired Unipetrol.

The fact is that the duo initially came to acquire a hotel according to apocryphal information, sources from the highest levels of the BPE.

Nasir El-Rufai, according to my source, then asked Tinubu and Boyo why they would want to acquire a hotel when they are in oil and gas.

He encouraged them to bid for one of the oil companies then. They had not thought of that because they felt those things were for the big players who had godfathers (back then, Tinubu was not the Jagaban that he is today).

Well, to cut a long story short, the duo went back to their den and repackaged themselves, and to use a cliche, the rest is history.

I am adept at spotting patterns. As Bishop TD Jakes once said, ‘nothing just happens’. If you are not able to spot patterns, you will be so clueless in politics until the day that your enemies will shave your head in your absence (apologies to Chief MKO Abiola).

The fact that Nasir El-Rufai unleashed his salvo three weeks ago, in Lagos, and then this recent move by the Securities and Exchange Commission on a company that is only one degree separated from both El-Rufai and Tinubu, cannot be a coincidence. Not at all.

I will keep exposing these patterns. Unfortunately for these bloodsucking vampires who are retarding Nigeria’s growth, I am not within reach, like Dele Giwa, so the only Letter Bomb they can send to me are spiritual and my God is able to make every weapon formed or fashioned against me fall to the ground.

The move against Oando is Act 2, Scene 1, in a Machiavellian plot involving the Fulani intelligentsia against ab errant Yoruba warlord. It is the tragedy of Alimi and Afonja all over again. Sadly, someone is repeating history because he does not realise that the devil has no new tricks. What he does is what he has always done since he started his mischief making from the Garden of Eden.

Bola Tinubu has been caught in an old South Indian Monkey Trap!

In Robert Pirsig’s seminal book, ‘Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance’, the author describes how Indians catch a monkey using an ancient Monkey Trap.

According to Pirsig, the trap “consists of a hollowed-out coconut, chained to a stake. The coconut has some rice inside which can be grabbed through a small hole”. The monkey’s hand fits through the hole, but his clenched fist can’t fit back out. “The monkey is suddenly trapped.”

The Fulani intelligentsia (which I greatly admire) trapped Bola Tinubu in their Monkey Trap by giving him the promise of a future impossible or possible Presidency. As long as Bola Tinubu’s fist is clenched on that promise, he can never escape the trap. He will stay there and allow himself be subjected to whatever disgrace and insult his trappers choose to mete our on him. Sadly, he is a victim of his own inordinate lust for power.

This is the same thing that another branch of the Fulani intelligentsia did in the banking sector using the then Governor of the Central Bank if Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (who is now getting his own comeuppance) to upend those they felt had grown wings by becoming too big for their breeches.

For the above, I refer my readers to Mrs. Cecilia Ibru’s recent interview on the above subject matter (Sanusi persecuted me as he thought I wanted his job at CBN – Cecilia Ibru, Punch Newspapers, May 11, 2019).

The problem with Southern Nigeria, and specifically, people like Bola Tinubu, and Samuel Ladoke Akintola Before Him, is that, while the North preserved and still uses the leadership ethos they learnt from theirs leaders, such as Shehu Uthman Dan Fodio (one of my mentors) and Sardauna Ahmadu Bello (another mentor of mine), Southerners on the other hand have jettisoned the wisdom of their own sages, like Obafemi Awolowo, Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther, and yes, Olusegun Obasanjo.

That is why we keep repeating history and instead of accepting responsibility for this, we prefer to blame history of repeating itself.

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GROpinion

Exposing the Malicious Sabotage of MoMo PSB Project in Enugu Ezike

By: Cyprian Nwodo

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MoMo Payment Service

The recent activities of some individuals with one Davids Iyida attempting to sabotage the MoMo Payment Service Bank project intended to benefit, especially  Enugu Ezike people, have raised significant concern and outrage within the community.

Davids Iyida
Davids Iyida

Such actions aimed at undermining a project with immense potential to uplift and empower the people of Enugu Ezike can only be described as malicious.

The MoMo PSB project is designed to bring financial services closer to the people of Enugu Ezike, facilitating easier access to banking and financial transactions.

This project is expected to create jobs, stimulate local businesses, and provide a much-needed boost to the local economy. In a region where such opportunities are rare, the MoMo PSB project represents a beacon of hope for many residents.

It is particularly baffling and disheartening to witness a member of the community collaborate with outsiders to hinder the progress of their own people.

The reasons behind such alliances remain unclear, but the impact of these actions is evident and deeply troubling. Working to obstruct the project is not only delaying progress but also actively working against the welfare and advancement of Enugu Ezike.

The efforts to destroy Kingsley Ifeanyi Adonu’s good intention, despite all the positive contributions he has made, are nothing short of wickedness.

Adonu, a visionary entrepreneur and the leading MTN Partner in the South East, has dedicated significant resources and efforts to bring the MoMo Payment Service Bank project to fruition.

His vision for the community includes economic growth, financial inclusion, and overall development. Attacking his vision is an attack on the progress and future of Enugu Ezike.

The question that lingers in the minds of many is: Why sabotaging our own benefits? In a time when unity and collective effort are paramount for the community’s advancement, such actions of sabotage are counterproductive and harmful. The community needs all hands on deck to drive development and improve the quality of life for its residents. Internal conflicts and malicious actions only serve to set back these efforts.

Despite the challenges and the malicious attempts to derail the project, it is important to reaffirm that S Mobile Group vision for establishing a MoMo Payment Service Bank in Enugu Ezike will prevail.

The community stands behind this vision, recognizing the immense benefits it promises to bring. Efforts to hinder progress will ultimately fail in the face of collective determination and support.

The actions of these ungrateful individuals, aimed at sabotaging the MoMo PSB project, are grave disservice to the community of Enugu Ezike.

In a time when progress and development are desperately needed, such malicious activities are deeply regrettable.

However, the vision and determination of Kingsley Ifeanyi Adonu and the community’s support ensure that the project will succeed, bringing much-needed growth and prosperity to Enugu Ezike.

Let it be known that no amount of sabotage can dim the light of progress and unity.

Nwodo, a public commentator writes from Enugu State

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Cybersecurity in 2024: Towards Ever Greater Sophistication of Tactics

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Chester Wisniewski, Director Global Field CTO

Writer: CHESTER WISNIEWSKI, Director Global Field CTO, Sophos

With 2024 fast approaching, what are the results for 2023 and what are the developments in the threat landscape for this new year?

The year 2023 was marked by persistence in the tactics of cybercriminals, with the predominance of ransomware, the exploitation of vulnerabilities, theft of credentials and even attacks targeting the supply chain. The common point in all his attacks is their formidable effectiveness.

It is therefore essential to ask what trends will persist in 2024 and what strategies businesses should adopt to deal with these future cyber threats.

Between persistent trends and evolving cybercrime tactics

In 2024, the threat landscape is not expected to change radically, particularly with regard to attack typologies and criminal tactics and procedures.

Criminal groups still primarily focus their attention on financial gains and ransomware remains their weapon of choice. These cybercriminals tend to take the easy way out by opportunistically attacking unpatched security vulnerabilities.

The recent Citrix Bleed attack demonstrated the agility of cybercriminals when it comes to quickly and effectively exploiting these new vulnerabilities.
However, once patches are applied to these vulnerabilities, cyberattackers tend to revert to more common strategies of stealing credentials or, failing that, cookies or session cookies, which, while slightly slower, constitute always a proven means that allows them to penetrate within a system.

In 2024, however, we should expect increased sophistication in defense evasion tactics, particularly due to the generalization of certain technologies such as multi-factor authentication. These attacks will combine malicious proxy servers, social engineering techniques and repeated authentication request attacks or “fatigue attacks”.

AI and regulations will continue to shape cybersecurity

In 2024, the development of AI will have a positive impact on the efficiency of IT teams and security teams by enabling them to strengthen defenses and work more efficiently, including through the processing of vast volumes of data in the aim of detecting anomalies. It should make it possible to respond more quickly in the event of an incident.

Indeed, analysis of attacks in 2023 showed a shortening of the time between network penetration and the triggering of a final attack – using malware or ransomware. The need for rapid detection and response tools to prevent costly incidents is therefore essential.

Finally, regulatory developments could have a major influence on measures taken against ransomware. The need to take more substantial measures could push some states to penalize the payment of ransoms, which would represent a brake on malicious actors and change the perspective of companies in the event of an attack.

Other stricter legislation, such as the implementation of the European NIS2 Directive, is also expected to force companies to take additional measures, particularly regarding their abilities to collect data sets.

To protect themselves against increasingly rapid, effective and costly attacks, companies will need to strengthen their defenses by equipping themselves with tools that allow them to detect and respond to incidents more quickly.

The worsening cybersecurity talent shortage does not appear to be as serious as some studies claim. On the contrary, companies have implemented more lax hiring criteria and more open-mindedness in the recruitment process.

From this perspective, to guarantee their survival in a constantly evolving threat landscape, companies have every interest in establishing partnerships with cybersecurity experts whose main mission is to make the hyperconnected world safer, to advise and assist them. in setting up effective defenses.

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GROpinion

The Internal Threat: The Hidden Face of Corporate Threats

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CHESTER WISNIEWSKI on Insider threat
By: CHESTER WISNIEWSKI, Field CTO – Applied research

Businesses today face many threats; but if those coming from outside are their main source of concern with a priority focus on ransomware, they too often forget to consider internal threats which can be just as devastating.

In fact, they take less time to assess the adaptability of their internal security measures in case a cyberattacker manages to break through their defenses from the inside and recover sensitive data that is easily accessible to him. So, what are the means to put in place to detect these threats and respond to them effectively?

The sources of these insider threats are diverse and very often undetected or detectable. They can thus be the result of negligence or even malice.

They can, for example, come from an implementation of relaxed security controls that do not apply to certain systems, or from a lack of logging and identification of these malicious activities.

Although, difficult to measure – since they are rarely the subject of dedicated reports – these internal attacks have already affected many companies.

What are the reasons for the appearance of these threats?

Intentionally or not, insider threats are legion. For example, when an employee carelessly forgets a USB key containing copies of critical information on the train, he then neglects to comply with all the rules in force.

This type of situation can be tragic for the company since there is therefore a risk of theft or public exposure of information that could lead to a violation of official regulations imposed by a governing body (usually GDPR, PCI and HIPPA) or by several regulatory bodies’ premises.

The company must then be extremely transparent by disclosing to its employees – and more broadly to the general public – that it has been the victim of a data breach within the organization, and it must also be held accountable. of all actions associated with this data breach.

But it can also be actions triggered intentionally for a wide variety of reasons. An employee may, for example, realize that he has the possibility of carrying out a malicious action in his workplace because of relaxed controls or because he has high visibility.

This type of situation can lead to the theft of confidential information belonging to the company. The employee then seizes this opportunity to harm the company with impunity.

Various flaws and patterns

Cybersecurity experts have identified three distinct insider threat motives which are revenge, greed, and inattention.

The first two reasons include, for example, intentional and accidental acts, and are more likely to occur following a dismissal or a resignation. However, these reasons vary according to the type of activity of the company.

In the case of the defense sector, it can be corruption or espionage, unlike the ICT sector, where commercial data theft is more widespread.

Employees in charge of selling products and solutions can thus save their customers’ contact details in files and programmers can steal the source code. Despite their media coverage, on the whole, cases of espionage or sabotage remain, fortunately, exceptions.

More generally, data leaks are often caused by insider threats, when sensitive information belonging to the company becomes “uncontained”, when it should be classified confidential according to the operational context.

This information then becomes “public” and people whose position has nothing to do with it can consult it. Very often, when businesses are faced with such accidental data loss or leakage, it is the result of carelessness, inadvertence or clumsiness – such as the loss of mobile devices, USB storage media or public exposure of repositories stored in the cloud.

The classic example of accidental data release comes from the use of the “To” and “CC” fields when sending an email to multiple external recipients, where personally identifiable information is exposed to all of these recipients; a situation that could have been avoided by using the “CCI” (blind copy) mode.

Finally, data destruction is also a typical action where the integrity and availability of data is taken away from the business.

This has the effect of preventing him from accessing critical information, which can directly impact the operational capacity of the company. While this activity is mostly associated with ransomware operators, it can also be attributed to insider threats.

It should be borne in mind that there are many reasons that could lead to such acts, but the main reason remains that the data is generally stored in a weak way, which allows too many people to access information that has nothing to do with the tasks entrusted to them.

These people can steal sensitive data for revenge, but also destroy it or remove it from the company or even try to extort its return.

How can we best respond to these threats?

The implementation of a strategy to prevent these internal threats remains difficult to implement, since once the attack has been launched, anticipation and control are already outdated. It is therefore extremely important to set up preparation sessions aimed at determining the impact of these attacks.

Thus, training employees in the correct use and understanding of internal company systems and processes can go a long way towards avoiding errors associated with accidental data leaks.

In addition, it can be useful to turn to several solutions and tools such as file and document management systems to better manage the critical data that the organization has in its possession. ZTNA limits access to only required tools/services/apps rather than everything on a company’s LAN.

It is also possible to employ Data Leakage Prevention (DLP) tools, capable of preventing accidental data leaks – except in the case of intentional theft. XDR systems and firewalls can also be very useful as part of the disaster prevention and recovery plan because they allow DLP to be implemented and log access and data movement at the same time.  Their actions facilitate forensic work, particularly in understanding failures and their consequences.

Finally, the implementation of technical controls capable of regulating access to data and systems that contain sensitive information, as well as the monitoring of the results of these controls and the responses to violations of the security policy contribute to the detection of ‘a malicious attack in progress.

To protect their company and their employees from these internal threats, managers must imperatively limit access to the data to the persons concerned and ensure the implementation of strict controls on the most sensitive data, while providing them with the support they need.

In essence, therefore, the right balance must be struck between people, process and technology, since any imbalance can favor the introduction of instability, as well as an easier increase and spread of risks – whether they either external or internal to the company.

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